PICKAWAY – A possible tornado touched down around 4 pm on Monday in the North West corner of Pickaway County that did severe damage to several homes but no one was severely hurt.
Accoridng to Pickaway County sheriff Mathew Hafey Tri-County fire department was dispatched to the area of 10185 Darby Creek road (Foxlair trailer park) for a possible tornado. When the fire department arrived they reported major damage and gas leaks in the area and called for mutual aid. A couple in a trailer on Goodsehollow road that was rolled onto its side was entrapped and the fire department had to use chainsaws to cut them out of their own home, luckily they only had minor injuries. When mutual aid arrived the county set up a command center and evacuated the entire park until the gas leaks could be controlled. The sheriff reported at least three major leaks where the lines were ripped out of the ground with no way to shut them off.
Other areas surrounding the park also received damage, the Orient prison farm took some severe roof damage along with some homes in the area.
Wind damage caused some tree lines down in the area but overall the major damage was isolated to the Orient area.
“There were no major injuries that are good,” said Sheriff Hafey, “I called the Red Cross as soon as I arrived on the scene expecting several people to be displaced from their homes. Luckily family members are taking in the people whose homes were damaged.”
Hafey told Sciotopost that after the gas was shut off by the gas line company people were allowed to go back to their homes to access the situation. The EMA director will assess the damage in the area and send a report later this week. National weather will also investigate and report back and confirm if this was a tornado or straight-line winds.
